Delhi high court pulls up SDMC over disability audit

The court observed that every citizen has a right to move around in the area created by the state and asked why SDMC officials were not moving independently on wheelchairs.

The Delhi high court on Monday pulled up the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) for not carrying out a social disability audit in a “proper manner” in Vasant Vihar area and failing to take steps to make streets and pavements friendly for wheelchair-bound people.

“When they moved around in wheelchairs, did they find it difficult?” the court asked the SDMC counsel.

Justice Najmi Waziri, while hearing a contempt plea alleging inaction of the authorities in preserving trees and preventing them from concretisation, took note of a video showing civic officials conducting the audit on a wheelchair but with assistance from another person.

On November 15 last year, the court said SDMC engineers shall traverse the entire colony’s footpaths on a wheelchair unaided to ensure the usability the footpaths. In compliance, the civic body officials carried out an audit, but with assistance.

The court observed that every citizen has a right to move around in the area created by the state and asked why SDMC officials were not moving independently on wheelchairs.

“When they moved around in wheelchairs, did they find it difficult?” the court asked the SDMC counsel.

When the counsel gave an answer in negative, the court wondered how they did not find it difficult and also questioned why another person was pushing the wheelchair and the official sitting on the chair was not moving it on his own. htc